Time's Portraiture (From: "The Doliver Romance and Other Pieces: Tales and Sketches")

"Time's Portraiture" by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a Carrier's Address to "The Salem Gazette" readers, using humor to explore time's impact on society during the 1800s. The story imagines Father Time not as a distant figure, but as a fashionable Salem resident actively involved in people's lives, showing how time both comforts and complicates their existence. The narrator, a newspaper carrier, shares observations and corrects misinterpretations about Time’s character, leading to a final, charming request for a New Year's tip. The writing blends poetry and social commentary, capturing the feeling of everyday life mixed with the constant beat of the clock.